Vanguard Magazine

teChnology WatCh www.vanguardcanada.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 39 ment solution. While this is a positive trend, increased government policy will add complexity in the procurement pro- cess into the future. In terms of technology, innovation and R&D will continue to be strong, particu- larly in the Key Industrial Capability areas. Peraton will be announcing several new R&D initiatives over the course of 2019 that will involve our existing supplier base, new suppliers, and academia, focusing on investment in western Canada, especially Alberta. Thales: ISS will be going through a digital transformation that includes technologies like AI, augmented and virtual reality, and big data analytics. You can imagine in the near future having a sensor inform you of an upcoming repair, automatically having the necessary parts available in the location where they are needed, donning a pair of virtual reality goggles to walk you through the repair process, and then reporting back on the status via a secure tablet. Thales has developed advanced predic- tive maintenance capabilities in areas such as transportation and aerospace. As part of the AJISS program, we are develop- ing leading maritime logistics capabilities through intelligent automation and deci- sion support to ultimately provide more accurate, efficient, and effective support and service assets. Nicole Verkindt is the technology editor of Vanguard magazine and founder and presi- dent of OMX. She is a board member of the Canadian Commercial Corporation and was recently appointed to the board of the Peter Munk School of Global Affairs. and other CAF requirements. Many other countries do not have ISS capabilities that compare to our Canadian domestic ISS network. Positively, there are mechanisms in place that allow for knowledge transfer between Canada and other nations, facili- tating the sharing of experiences, prob- lems, and resolutions thereby helping to strengthen Canada's and the international community's ISS capabilities. Thales: Thales' value proposition to its ISS customers is universal and applicable across many of Thales' major platforms. ISS is not new – but the implementation of performance-based and relational ISS contracts is a shift for Canada. From a naval perspective, Canada can learn from the experiences of countries such as the UK and Australia who have been provid- ing ISS for naval services for 10 and 20 years respectively. Thales is in the process of transferring knowledge of existing and innovative ISS-ready solutions from Aus- tralia to Canada to support major ISS pro- grams like AJISS. Q What trends do you see or predict in regard to ISS procurement and technology? PAL: The key trend we see in ISS procure- ment is the continued move toward gov- ernments outsourcing activities. Through dialogue and consultation, governments are gaining an appreciation for private in- dustry. Industry is being recognized for its agile approach to ISS, its ability to utilize scale across various ISS operations, and in turn employ new technology in a more rapid fashion than typical government or- ganizations can. There is significant value to be captured here by all parties. Peraton: Canada's approach to ISS pro- curement is becoming more long-term, with the focus shifting away from capital procurement costs towards a full sustain- challenges. This IPT composed of Pera- ton, Government, and OEM representa- tives successfully combined multiple con- tracts under a single prime contract. Thales: The global experiences of our programs inform the work that Thales Canada is performing as part of the AJISS program. We learn from our custom- ers every day. Thales' ISS capabilities are constantly improving based on our expe- rience and the operational challenges our customers face, with new and emerging threats and increasingly finite resources. Thales' performance-based approach to many of its ISS programs ensures that as- sets are mission-ready on time, every time while optimizing costs. Q You provide ISS for countries around the globe. Have you noticed any differences between other countries and Canada in regard to ISS? What can Canada learn from other countries? What can other countries learn from Canada? PAL: Our global presence has allowed PAL to hone our abilities to deal with diversity amongst our clients. Culturally, geographically, operationally – the diver- sity of our clients' respective operations demand flexibility in PAL's approach to ISS. Fundamentally important to our suc- cess is respecting and understanding what makes each of our clients unique and treating them in a way that allows them to feel like their ISS requirements are be- ing addressed as if they're our number one customer. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work. Peraton: In our experience, the great- est difference is the robustness of the ISS model that each nation can support. Canada has a strong domestic support ca- pability grounded in its well-established industrial base which supports the RCAF In Canada, we provide comprehensive whole-platform ISS for two new classes of ships: the new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy (known as AJISS).

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